10k children with special needs statemented in WELB

OVER ten thousand children with special needs were statemented by the Western Education and Library Board (WELB) over the past five years.

By The Newsroom

Published 30th Jun 2011, 10:27 BST

Education Minister John O’Dowd revealed the figures in response to a Question at the Stormont Assembly.

The total figure was 10,709 between 2006/7 and 2010/11.

Across the five education boards in Northern Ireland the total number of pupils assessed as having special needs over the same period was 66,208.

The figures relate to funded pupils in voluntary and private preschool centres and grant-aided nursery, primary, post-primary and special schools.

Statemented pupils are those children at Stage 5 on the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice.